A man was shot dead and three people, including his wife, were injured as unidentified assailants opened fire on their car in Karachi on Monday, police said.

According to officials, the couple had contracted a free-will marriage some time back and the girl's family did not support it.

East SSP Qamar Raza Jiskani told Dawn.com that Waseem Ejaz along with his wife Kausar Waseem and other relatives were travelling in the car on the arterial Shahrea Faisal road when some armed people in another vehicle accosted them and sprayed them with bullets. As a result, Waseem died on the spot, while his wife sustained a bullet injury to her arm.

The other injured passengers were identified as Waseem's brother Naseer Ejaz and driver Syed Muneer who were shifted to the Jinnah Postgraduate Medical Centre.

JPMC Additional Police Surgeon Dr Summaiya Syed said Muneer had suffered a bullet wound in his chest and his condition was serious. The woman received bullet injuries on her right arm, while Naseer's condition was termed out of danger.

According to the SSP, a fifth person, Yaseen, who was travelling with the victims in the car and remained unhurt, told police that the woman's parents had lodged a First Information Report against Ejaz in Hyderabad on charges of kidnapping their daughter on August 29, 2021.

The couple had appeared before the Sindh High Court today seeking to have the FIR cancelled. There, the girl’s father, brother and other relatives met her and tried to persuade her to go with them but she refused, according to the witness.

Yaseen told police that they were on their way to Steel Town when the girl’s relatives chased them in a vehicle and opened fire on their car near Lal Kothi on Sharea Faisal.

SSP Jiskani said the survivor had identified the five suspects allegedly involved in the attack as the girl’s father Aziz, her brother Azeem, cousin Nasir, and her two relatives namely Hameer and Amin.

Both the woman and deceased man's families hailed from Larkana, the officer said, adding that police were investigating the incident.